Marathon Madness Monday: Week 6

It all started with a proclamation made by my soon-to-be-six year old nephew/Godson, James.

He said, "You are the most athletic person in our family!"

This proclamation was met by a chorus of laughter. Honestly, in the past, Lisa + athletic would only be used if I was trying to explain what an antonym meant! Trust me, people. I was more of the band/choir/speech/drama/student council type in high school.

But in the eyes of my James, I am the most athletic person. That morning, I had explained that I would be running a marathon. Running 26.2 miles is hard for the adult mind to grasp, so I imagine it's even harder for a child to grasp. To help him understand how far it is, I explained that I would basically be running from his house to my parents house. Putting that distance in understandable terms for him resulted in a wide-eyed/shocked/"you must be crazy" look.

Hence, the reason for the proclamation that I am the most athletic person in the family.

This is certainly not the case. My brothers were good at football in high school. My sister would leave me in a trail of her dust if we were able to go for a run together.

But earning the admiration of a 6 year old apparently made me believe in myself and my abilities a bit more.

Couple that with the fact that I seriously SCHOOLED my family in bocce ball on the 4th - and, well, I was feeling pretty darn athletic.

So in the evening hours of the 4th of July, I thought it'd be a great idea to show my nephews how to do a cartwheel and a round off. As a child, I had spent hours upon hours in our yard, practicing cartwheels and other acrobatics, so I figured I still had it in me.

I will say, I successfully completed the cartwheel and round off and I really felt like I stuck the landing.

The next day I woke up in pain and had a swollen ankle. I thought I had maybe tweaked it on my long run on Saturday (which went horribly by the way). Then, last Wednesday, the light bulb went off and I realized that the ankle issues could be traced back the freaking 4th of July acrobatics.

Although I am basically in the best shape I could be, apparently my 29-year old body is not built to do cartwheels.

I often say, "Know your strengths." Now I will follow that up by saying, "But know your limits."

I will say - this injury freaked me out. I am a bit of a schedule follower, so taking a couple of extra days off sent me into a tizzy. I may have called my mom and cried. There was a flurry of bbm's sent to my training partner, Amber.

Luckily, I was able to run again by Friday and had a great 12 mile training run yesterday.

I learned my lesson, though.

Marathon Training + Cartwheels do not mix

*************
Training Tally:
Miles ran last week: 21 (should have been 29 if not for the ankle issues...)
Training-to-date mileage: 120

Fill-in Friday

Happy Friday! This week flew by for me! Work has been crazy busy. Interest rates dropped again this week, and since I work in an industry that is very impacted by interest rates, that means we are busy, busy, busy. They are having some late nights next week and management just told us that they have 14 iPads to give away! I'm definitely crossing my fingers that I win one!!

I thought it would be fun to finish off the week by learning a little more about each other. Here are 5 "Fill-In the Blank" Questions. I'd love it if you answered in the comments!

1. I wish I had more time during the day to __________.

2. I feel most confident when I am __________.

3. I am more of a _________ brain person. (left or right)

4. I was born in the month of __________.

5. I like my eggs __________.

Here are my answers:

1. Crochet/Knit
2. Wearing heels and a flattering dress
3. Left
4. February
5. scrambled with some cheese and chopped veggies, like peppers and onion.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! After being out of town last weekend, I am looking forward to a weekend in Minneapolis!

My 4th in Photos

I could tell you all about my fabulous 4th of July weekend, but I'm feeling sort of wordless today... So here are some photos I snapped!

I got up bright and early on Saturday morning to put in my 11 mile run while the rest of the family (except my early bird mom) slept. I love mornings at the lake when the sun reflects off the glass-like water!

Even though there is a huge lake to swim in, sometimes the boys need more entertainment. This made me miss my slip n' slide days!

I was almost tempted to give this a whirl, but figured I might actually break a hip or something!

My parents bought a new tube to pull behind the boat. It great for young kids since it's not likely that they'll fall out of the tube. Andrew and James let me ride along with them for a bit.

Sometimes all the sun can wear a person out and you just need to curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket like Mattie did on Sunday!

Fishing is quite popular with the boys. I do not touch worms, minnows, or fish, but am always willing to capture the moments on film. The first fish was a decent sized fish...

But they just got smaller...

and smaller! The last fish could have been bait, I swear.

Besides swimming and fishing, the boys spend lots of time playing in the sand. Mattie has apparently inherited the non-existent derriere that men in our family are known for...

This is actually one of my favorite pictures from the weekend. My favorite photos are always photos taken of the back of people. For me, there is a peacefulness to photos like this!

I can't believe the 4th has already come and gone! I hope summer starts to slow down soon!

How did you celebrate the 4th of July?

So Many Books, So Little Time...

That's really how I feel - and how all of my book loving friends feel, too. A few of your commented about how many books I read each month. I will say - that is one perk of being single! Instead of the 'good night' phone calls, I pull out a book to keep me company. I keep my reading light on for as long as my heart desires and no one will complain about this cutting into their sleeping hours.

Here's what's on deck for the month of July!

I read Stieg Larsson's first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last summer. Murder/mystery books are not my preferred genre so I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. Being the easy sell that I am, I bought the 2nd book at the prompting of the Barnes & Noble cashier. But then I never got around to reading it - until now! I started it last night and am enjoying it thus far. According to Emily, it's better than the first so I think I am in for a great read!

Speaking of Emily... Our July Blogger Book Club book is The Secret Garden. I am sort of embarrassed that I never read this classic Children's book - but better late than never, right? I saw the movie as a young child and remember loving it, so I am sure I will love the book. Are you looking for a light summer read? Then read along! Emily posts questions and an occasional guest post throughout the month to keep us all engaged.

I do not know how "I Capture the Castle" got on my reading list. It's one of those books that I have picked up and almost bought at Barnes and Nobles and then talked myself out of buying (shockingly enough, sometimes I can talk myself out of buying a book). This strikes me as a great summer read. It was the first novel published in 1948 by the author of 101 Dalmatians. It's set in a castle in England so should provide a great virtual escape!

"The Last War" is the next book that I will be reviewing for TLC Book Tours. It tells the story of a photojournalist, Flash, and her war correspondent husband. She receives a mysterious letter and finds out that her husband has been unfaithful. After learning of his infidelity, she begins to look back on her marriage and asks herself if she was ever really happy. I'll be reviewing it on Wednesday, July 28th!

What are you reading these days? Have you read any great books this summer?

Ten on Tuesday

Happy Tuesday - although it feels like more of a Monday today! Here's this week's installment of Ten on Tuesday, courtesy of Chelsea.

1. If given the opportunity, would you choose a mediocre job that paid well or your dream job that paid poorly?
It would be great to have my dream job, but there is more to life than working. So I'd rather have a mediocre job that paid well so I would be able to do things like travel.

2. What is your favorite thing about the 4th of July? (For the foreigners: What is your impression of the 4th of July?)
Being at the cabin with my family! 3 out of 5 of the kids in my family were at my parents' this weekend and we had a blast (although I wish 5 out of 5 of us would have been there!).

3. What’s the most random fact you know about American history?
I am ashamed to admit that I do not have any fun random facts that I know about the US. My late Grandfather would be so disappointed as he was the biggest history buff...

4. What is the best fireworks display you’ve ever seen?
When I was in high school, I went to a fireworks show in Fargo, ND that was put on by a pyrotechnic guild (who knew there was such a thing?). It was a great show - and I went with a guy that I had an enormous crush on!

5. Who taught you how to put on makeup?
Um, no one. Which is probably why I sort of suck at it.

6. Have you ever gone through a financial planning process? Tell us about it.
Nope. I will probably look into finding one in the next year or so.

7. What was your favorite outfit as a kid? Bonus points for pictures.
I didn't have one - or at least one that I can think of... I think I was more of a lover of wearing multiple outfits in a given day v. wearing a specific outfit.

8. Do you prefer a beach, lake, swimming pool, or no water?
I would say a lake - caveat being the water can't be freakishly cold, and it has to be a clean lake... like my parents' which is the 3rd cleanest lake in Minnesota!!

9. Do you recycle? If not, why?
Yes. You would have to be uber lazy to not do it where I live since they have receptacles for everything in the garage.

10. What are your thoughts and feelings about the Twilight Saga?
To each their own... I don't want to offend any Twihards out there (props to Rachel for introducing me to this word!), but my thoughts are: "meh". I read 3 of the 4 books, but the 3rd one annoyed me so much, I could not finish the series. I have to say that the movies are downright TERRIBLE, though. Like, I want the 2+ hours I spent watching the 2nd movie back - that's how awful I thought that movie was.

Music, Books, Miles, and Looks of June

How is it possible that Sunday is the 4th of July? Time needs to slow the heck down! I can't believe 2010 is half over!!!

Time for another round of Music, Books, Miles, and Looks!

Music:
Lisztomania by Phoenix - This just screams summer anthem to me. I really think it's impossible to listen to this and NOT tap your foot or bop your body along to the beat. Oh and Phoenix is a French band, so how could this Francophile not love them!




King of Anything Sara Bareilles - Anyone who has received unsolicited advice should enjoy this one! Another song with a fabulous beat. I can't wait for her CD release this fall. Her last CD was wonderful and if this song is any indication of what is to come, her sophomore album has the making of being wonderful as well!




Don't Stop Believing performed by the cast of Glee - Yes, I have clearly been living under a rock and just started watching Glee. The show is awesome! I have the Vol 1 & 2 soundtracks of season one - great running music!



Books:

- Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - June book for my local book club. Was a fast read that was pretty middle-of-the-road.

- Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart - you can read my thoughts here.

- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - interesting book, the author made some interesting points about choosing happiness.

- The Locket & The Carousel by Richard Paul Evans - I needed some light/mindless reading so read these 2 books. I always enjoy books by this author.

- Good Things I Wish You by A. Manette Ansay - you can read my thoughts here.

Miles:

Total miles ran = 97! I am really happy with this number! It will definitely be over 100 in July!

Looks:

This month I was all about wearing dresses. My condo doesn't have central air so I lovingly refer to it as the hot box. This summer might go down as the pantsless summer - ie, I am wearing dresses as much as possible to stay cool. I am not going to complain about the heat and humidity since I wait for hot summer weather as a small child waits for Christmas... I could do without the humidity but beggars can't be choosers...

I'm strongly considering buying this dress (can't get the photo to post, click over and check it out!). I had totally forgotten about Shabby Apple. A best friend and I used to exchange emails with links of dresses from this site. Then I totally forgot about this site until my sister bbm'd me and said I had to check it out. There are so many cute dresses to check out!

Now some terrible self-photos of a couple of dresses I've been wearing this month.

This a super comfy linen dress purchased on clearance from Gap last spring when I was in NYC. That was the trip where they lost my luggage and I didn't get it back until I arrived home at the end of the week! I didn't love having to buy replacement clothes, but at least I have gotten a lot of use out of this dress!

This is a simple, cotton dress that I bought at Target. I have lucked out and found quite a few inexpensive dresses at Target this summer!

Have a fabulous 4th of July weekend! I am heading to my parents' cabin for the long weekend (I get Monday off). I am sure I'll have some photos and stories to share as I will get to see 3 of my 4 nephews! What will you be doing this weekend?

Book Review: Good Things I Wish You

Earlier this month, I read Good Things I Wish You by A. Manette Ansay. I had previously read and really enjoyed Blue Water, another book by Ansay, so was really looking forward to reading this book. Good Things I Wish You (which I will refer to as Good Things in this review) could fall under the classification of historical fiction. In Good Things, we meet Jeanette Hochmann, a newly divorced woman who is writing a book about the relationship between Clara Schumann, wife of the famous composer Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms, the protege of Clara's husband. My oh my, the lives of the composers were certainly more scandalous than I ever would have imagined when I learned about them as a young child!


Ansay skillfully weaves together Jeanette and Clara's stories. Through her research, Jeanette is trying to determine the nature of the relationship between Clara and Johannes. Was it a romantic relationship? Were they strictly friends and colleagues? Ansay includes excerpts of letters from Johannes, either to Clara or about Clara, that clearly show that Johannes was in love with Clara, such as the following:

"I often have to restrain myself forcibly from just quietly putting my arm around her and even - I don't know, it seems so natural that she could not misunderstand. I think I can no longer love an unmarried girl - at least, I have quite forgotten about them. They but promise heaven while Clara shows it revealed to us." (p. 57)

From this excerpt it sounds like it was unrequited love, but it's difficult to confirm this as the letters from Clara to Johannes have all been destroyed... It does appear that Clara had the upper hand in the relationship and seemed to keep Brahms wanting more. We do know that Clara lived a very lonely life. Her husband dies in a mental institution in 1856, after an attempted suicide. Clara then goes on to live for 40 more years and never re-marries and Brahms does not marry either. On her death bed, Clara continues to proclaim that they were best friends.

While Jeanette is doing research for a book about this pair, she is re-entering the dating world. She begins a relationship with a man named Hart, but finds parallels between Clara and Johannes's relationship and her relationship with Hart. At times, she will use direct quotes from letters from Johannes when describing her relationship, such as the phrase, "She wants to be close. She can't bear to be close."

"I was tired of this. Tired of him. He could touch me, yes, but on his own terms. He could say anything he wanted. He wants to be close. He can't bear to be close. This was going nowhere." (p. 173)

This book strikes me as a study in dysfunctional, unbalanced relationship. I think every person finds themselves in that sort of relationship at some point in their life, so for me it was a book I could relate to. There were times when I read passages and thought - yes! That is exactly how I felt.

After I finished the book, I turned off my light, and tossed and turned. I kept thinking about passages that so aptly described how I feel at times. Passages such as this last one that I will leave you with:

"All that I'd lost truly hit me then. I was alone in the world, I was truly alone. And yet.. I must go to work and come home. I must shop and cook and clean the house, balance the checkbook, take the car in for oil changes, repair the gutters, pay taxes. A privileged life, a blessed life, in a world filled with hunger and terror and want. It was shameful to admit, even to myself, that it all seemed impossible somehow." (p. 246)

Good Things is a short, quick read. It's not a cheerful, pick-me-up sort of book, but if you are anything like me, it will leave you thinking. It has also sparked my curiosity about the life of Clara Schumann; I plan on checking out one of the books that she cited throughout the book (Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso by Susanna Reich).

In Ansay's book, Jeanette tries to answer the age old question: can men and women be friends? I do have male friends, but do not have a close, personal relationship with any that would mirror Clara and Johannes relationship. What do you think? Is it possible for men and women to just be friends?